Obituaries XI – Union Generals Killed In Action
Despite ongoing research, scholars remain uncertain about the total number of soldiers killed during the war. The traditional estimate is 655,000, although other calls go as high as 698,000 to 725,000. Regardless of which is correct, the 1861-65 War Between the States is by far the nation’s bloodiest, with losses topping all of America’s other conflicts combined up through the 21st century.
Total Casualties In The Civil War
| Number | % Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 31,443,321 | 100.00% |
| Total Enlistments | 3,200,000 | 10.17 |
| All Casualties | 1,692,000 | 5.38 |
| Total Dead | 655,000 | 2.08* |
| Total KIA | 204,000 | 0.64 |
| Generals KIA | 110 |
But the toll of the war falls far more heavily on the Confederates than the Union on all three key measures: total causalities as a % of the population (7.0% vs. 4.3%); total killed (2.4% vs. 1.9%); and total KIA (0.8% vs. O.6%).
Total Casualties In The Civil War: South vs. North
| Confederate | % Total | Union | % Total | CSA/Union | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 12,315,373 | 19,127,948 | 0.64 | ||
| Total Enlistments | 1,000,000 | 8.10% | 2,200,000 | 11.50% | 0.45 |
| All Casualties | 864,000 | 7 | 828,000 | 4.3 | 1.04 |
| Total Dead | 290,000 | 2.4 | 365,000 | 1.9 | 0.79 |
| Total KIA | 94,000 | 0.8 | 110,000 | 0.6 | 0.85 |
This disparity may reflect the South’s growing desperation as the war appears lost, especially in 1864, or simply Robert E. Lee’s ongoing predilection to attack whenever possible.
On the Union side, Gettysburg is the costliest battle, followed by Grant’s Overland engagements in 1862 at Spotsylvania and the Wilderness.
Costliest Battles For The Union
| Battle | Dates | Engaged | All Casualties | % Cas | Command |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gettysburg | July 1-3 ‘1863 | 93,921 | 23,049 | 24.50% | Meade |
| Spotsylvania | May 9-21, 1864 | 100,000 | 18,399 | 18.4 | Grant |
| Wilderness | May 5-7, 1864 | 101,895 | 17,666 | 17.3 | Grant |
| Chancellorsville | Ap 30-May 6, ‘64 | 133,868 | 17,197 | 12.9 | Hooker |
| Chickamauga | Sept 18-20 1863 | 60,000 | 16,173 | 27 | Rosecrans |
| Shiloh | April 6-7, 1862 | 66,812 | 13,047 | 19.5 | Grant |
| Stones River | Dec 31-Jan 2, ‘63 | 41,400 | 12,906 | 31.1 | Rosecrans |
| Fredericksburg | Dec 11-15, 1862 | 114,000 | 12,653 | 11.1 | Burnside |
| Antietam | Sept 17, 1862 | 75,500 | 12,401 | 16.4 | McClellan |
| II Manassas | August 28-30, ‘62 | 62,000 | 10,000 | 16.1 | Pope |
The total number of General Officers killed in action is 111, with 73 for the Confederates versus 38 for the Union.
General KIA In The Civil War
| Confederate | Union | CSA/Union | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generals KIA | 73 | 38 | 1.92 |
Gettysburg leads the way In terms of Union Generals killed in action, with four, most notably John Fulton Reynolds of the Iron Brigade. The highest ranking officer killed is Major General George Sedgwick at the Battle of Spotsylvania.
Costliest Battles For Union Generals Killed
| Battle | # | KIA |
|---|---|---|
| Gettysburg | 4 | Reynolds, Weed, Zook, Ellis |
| Petersburg | 3 | Blaisdell, Stedman, Gowan |
| Spotsylvania | 3 | Sedgwick, Stevenson, Rice |
| Atlanta | 2 | Cobham, McPherson |
| Wilderness | 2 | Hays, Wadsworth |
| Cedar Creek | 2 | Wells, Bidwel |
| Perryville | 2 | Jackson, Terrill |
| Chantilly | 2 | Kearney, Stevens |
The table below captures more details on each of the 38 fallen Union Generals.
Obituaries: The 38 Union Generals Killed In Action During The War
| Killed In Action | Death | Age | Battle | Wound | Rank | Army |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Thomas Williams | Aug 5, 1862 | 47 | Baton Rouge | Shot to heart | Brigadier | Department of Gulf |
| 2. Robert McCook | Aug 6, 1862 | 34 | Ala skirmish | Gut shot | Brigadier | Army of OH |
| 3. Henry Bohlen | Aug 22, 1862 | 51 | Rappahannock Station | Shot to head | Brigadier | Potomac on Penisula |
| 4. Philip Kearny | Sept 1, 1862 | 47 | Chantilly, Va | Shot through hip | Maj Gen | Potomac |
| 5. Isaac Stevens | Sept 1, 1862 | 44 | Chantilly, Va | Shot in temple | Maj Gen | Potomac |
| 6. Pleasant Hackelman | Oct 3, 1862 | 47 | Corinth, MS | Shot in neck | Brigadier | Army of TN |
| 7. James Jackson | Oct 8, 1862 | 39 | Perryville, KY | Shot 2x in chest | Brigadier | Army of OH |
| 8. William Terrill | Oct 8, 1862 | 29 | Perryville, KY | Shrapnel to lung | Brigadier | Army of OH |
| 9. Conrad Jackson | Dec 13, 1862 | 49 | Fredericksburg | Shot to head | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 10. Joshua Sill | Dec 31, 1862 | 31 | Stones River | Shot to head | Brigadier | Army of OH |
| 11. Hiram Berry | May 2, 1863 | 38 | Chancellorsville | Shot in lungs | Maj Gen | Potomac |
| 12. John Reynolds | July 1, 1863 | 42 | Gettysburg | Shot in neck | Maj Gen | Potomac |
| 13. Steven Weed | July 2, 1863 | 31 | Gettysburg | Shot in chest | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 14. Samuel Zook | July 2, 1863 | 42 | Gettysburg | Shot 3x to body | Maj Gen | Potomac |
| 15. A. Van Horn Ellis | July 2, 1863 | 36 | Gettysburg | Shot in forehead | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 16. Lewis Benedict | April 9, 1864 | 46 | Pleasant Hill, La | Shot five times | Brigadier | Department of Gulf |
| 17. Alexander Hays | May 5, 1864 | 44 | Wilderness | Shot to head | Maj Gen | Potomac |
| 18. James Wadsworth | May 6, 1864 | 56 | Wilderness | Shot to head | Maj Gen | Potomac |
| 19. John Sedgwick | May 9, 1864 | 50 | Spotsylvania | Shot in left eye | Maj Gen | Potomac |
| 20. Thomas Stevenson | May 10, 1864 | 28 | Spotsylvania | Shot to head | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 21. James Rice | May 10, 1864 | 35 | Spotsylvania | ? | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 22. Henry Giesy | May 28, 1864 | 28 | Atlanta | ? | Brigadier | Sherman army |
| 23. John McConihe | June 1, 1864 | 29 | Cold Harbor | Shot in heart | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 24. Thomas Humphrey | June 10, 1864 | 29 | Brice’s Cross Roads, MS | Shot | Brigadier | Sherman army |
| 25.William Blaisdell | June 23, 1864 | 48 | Petersburg, Va. | Shot | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 26. George Cobham Jr. | July 20, 1864 | 38 | Peachtree Creek, Ga. | ? | Brigadier | Sherman army |
| 27. James B. McPherson | July 22, 1864 | 35 | Atlanta | Shot in back | Maj Gen | Sherman army |
| 28. Griffin Stedman | Aug 6, 1864 | 26 | Petersburg, Va. | Shot in side | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 29. George Elstner | Aug 8, 1864 | 22 | Kennesaw Mountain | ? | Brigadier | Army of OH |
| 30. David Russell | Sept 19, 1864 | 43 | Opequon in Shen Valley | Shell fragment to head | Maj Gen | Potomac |
| 31. Frank Peck | Sept 19, 1864 | 27 | Opequon in Shen Valley | ? | Brigadier | Sheridan Valley |
| 32. Hiram Burnham | Sept 30, 1864 | 50 | Chapin’s Farm at Petersburg | Gut shot | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 33. George Wells | Oct 13, 1864 | 38 | Cedar Creek | Shot in chest | Brigadier | Sheridan Valley |
| 34. Daniel Bidwell | Oct 19, 1864 | 45 | Cedar Creek | Shell to shoulder | Brigadier | Sheridan Valley |
| 35. Sylvester Hill | Dec 15, 1864 | 44 | Nashville | Struck by shell | Brigadier | Army of TN |
| 36. Frederick Winthrop | April 1, 1865 | 25 | Five Forks | Shot in lungs | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 37. George Gowan | April 2, 1865 | 25 | Petersburg, Va. | Shell to face | Brigadier | Potomac |
| 38. Theodore Read | April 6, 1865 | Appomattox –High Bridge | Pistol shot fired by CSA Dearing | Brigadier | Potomac |
A final note. In addition to those Generals killed in action, there is a long list of those who were mortally wounded and died later.
The Union total was 29, including such notables as Joseph Mansfield, Isaac Rodman, WHL Wallace, Samuel Rice, Israel Richardson, James Mulligan and George Strong. A comparable list for the Confederates is not available.